Pouring attachment for pails



June 24, 1930. J. E. FITZGERALD 1,765,409

POURING ATTACHMENT FOR FAILS Filed June 1928 Patented June 24, 1930 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES E. FITZGERALD, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NILES- STEEL PRODUCTS COMIPANY, OI NILES, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO I POURIN G ATTACHMENT FOR PAILS Application filed June 5, 1928. Serial No. 288,016.

This invention relates to the dispensing of liquids from containers and it has particular reference to a device for attachment to a container to facilitate'the pouring of liquid therefrom.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to which may be readily attached to or removed from the container with which it is utilized.

A further object is to provide a device which is inexpensive to manufacture and at the same time is highly practical and efiicient.

Further objects and advantages to be derived through practice of the invention will become apparent from the following specification describing a preferred embodiment thereof and from the accompanying drawing illustrating the same.

It has heretofore been customary to construct certain containers such as paint pails J without any provision for pouring out the contents thereof and particularly in the case of the larger containers such as five-gallon paint pails, considerable difiiculty has been experienced when attempting to pour the liquid from a large to a smaller container. This difliculty has resulted in causing some manufacturers to construct the pails with lips and other forms of devices for facilitating the pourin operation. Such practice, however, ad s to the manufacturing cost and in a great many instances is unnecessary. inasmuch as it is ,not always found desirable to make use of the device so provided.

In order to overcome the difiiculties pointed out, the present invention contemplates the provision of afdevice to be manufactured independently of the pails and distributed therewith in such quantities as may be required.

While the invention as described herein is applied to a paint pail it will be understood that it is not limited to such use-but that it may be utilized in conjunction with various sizes and forms of containers.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device, illustrating in dotted lines the position assumed by the resilient member when the device is 1n use; 4

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section and part1 broken away illustrating the device as app ied to a paint pail.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the device as applied to a modified form of container. I

The device, as contemplated by the present invention, is adapted to partially close the open end of the container in connection with which it is used and is provided with a pouring aperture which restricts the flow to a comparatively small stream which may, without difficulty, be directed into any desired spot. To this end the device comprises a substantially flat body portion 10 shaped as a segment of a circle and having a down- :wardly and outwardly extending flange 11 around the curved portion of its periphery, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The flange 11 has at its periphery an inwardly turned bead 12 which constitutes a reinforcement and which also serves another purpose to be later referred to. The straight edge of the body portion is provided with a reinforcing head 12. A pouring aperture 13 is provided in the body portion 10 and is situated adjacent the flange 11 approximately midway of the ends thereof. The aperture is partially surrounded by a reinforcing corrugation 14.

As hereinbefore stated, the device is readily attached to or removed from the container in connection with which it is used and to this end there is rovided a resilient member 15 consisting o a wire spring or other suitable resilient member, which is adapted to be threaded through the bead 12. The wire sprin 15 does not form a complete circle but 1s of such a length as to extend considerably beyond both ends of the body portion 10, the free ends being curved on a larger radius than that of the body portion so that they must be contracted in order to insert the device into a container and the tension thus imposed on the free ends holds the device yieldingly in position.

' container such as a paint pail provided ad-. -jacent its top with any enlargement or cor- It is to be understood that the spring .15

rugation 17- and an inwardly extending por-- tion 18 surmounted by a circular bead 19.. The contents of the container 16 is indi- -2. A device .for use in conjunction with a container having an enlargement and an inwardly extending portion ad acent its upper end, said device comprising a body porer, and resilient means for securing the device in position. '3. A pourlngdevlce for insertion 1n the open end of a contalner, said devlce comcated by the numeral 20. In applyingv the \p g a y Portion in the form of a device to the open end of the contalner just described, the device is inserted edgewise into the container and then turned until the projecting ends of the spring engage the enlarged portion 17, thus holding the flange '11 in close engagement with the inwardly extending portion.

An advantage of the particular construe tion illustrated and described is that during the pouring of the liquid from the container the weight of the liquid falls in such av direction as to hold the device more securely in position, that is to say the flange 11 is pressed more firmly against the inwardly extending portion 18.

,In Fig. 4 there is illustrated'a modified form of container to which the device is equally adaptable. In this case the container has a greater diameter at its top than that of the body portion, but is provided with an inwardly extending portion desigv nated by the numeral 21 against which the flange 11 is resiliently held as in the form illustrated in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that the device with minormodifications may be applied to a container having either an inwardly or an outwardly extending bead adjacent its-top and that such modifications would come within the scope of the invention.

While I have described the invention as a preferred embodiment and have illustrat ed only one form which the device may assume, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such application but that various modifications and changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed as are set forth in the appended claims Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for use in conjunction with a container having an upwardly and inwardly tion.

' 4:. A pouring device for insertion in the open end of a container, said container having an inwardly extending portion adjacent its open end, said device comprising a body portion having a pouring aperture therein,

a flange on said body portion adapted to engage snugly the inwardly extending portion of the container, and resilient means rigidly connected with said body portion and adapted to engage the opposite interior walls of said container for securing the parts in engagement.

' In testimony whereof, I hereunto signature.

. JAMES E. FITZGERALD.

extending portion adjacent its upper end, i

said device comprising a body portion having a pouring aperture therein, a flange on sald body portion adapted to engage the inwardly extending portion of the container, and resilient means for securing the parts in engagement. 

